Big Time Problems, Big Time Solutions
by lucky-starz06
Summary: Who knew that the perfect place to find true love would be at the Palmwoods Hotel? Things are about to get a little crazy...  bit more of a summary inside
1. I Gotta Big Time Crush On You

**This is part 1 of my first attempt at a BTR fic. I hope you guys like it, even though the characters are original. The whole thing IS written, so no worries: all of it will be uploaded eventually!**

**Summary: Girl loves boy best friend. Boy best friend loves different girl... but that girl is not who she appears to be. Crazy times ahead. (xJames/OCx, xLogan/OCx, xCarlos/OCx)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or any of the songs/bands mentioned.**

**Shoutouts: Thanks to my best friends Sam and Mel for reading this and telling me how much you love it over and over again. It truly means alot and I love you girls with all my heart. Thank you also to my other great friends Emma, Jess, and Carrie for reading and telling me their opinions. Suggestions always help! ;) You girls rock!**

Krystle Conner hopped out of the taxi that had just taken her to her destination and grabbed her bags from the back seat. After paying the fee, she took a moment to stare at the vicinity around her.

_Palm Woods Hotel. _she thought to herself. _Yep, this is the place._

She couldn't ignore the excitement she was feeling as she walked up to the reservation desk to check in.

_I'm so excited to meet Carlos. And Kendall. And Logan… and to see James._

She swallowed hard, trying to pay no attention to the flush she felt as her cheeks turned a light shade of crimson.

_James. Especially James. _A huge smile spread across her face.

"Thank you." Mr. Bitters told her politely, handing over her card key.

"Thank you." she repeated, smiling and picking up her bag.

She turned around, gazing all over the lobby but seeing no sign of the boys just yet.

_Looks like I'm on a mission._ she told herself. _Let the games begin._

"You guys, today's the day!" James said with a rush of excitement. "Today is the day you finally meet Krystle!"

"We know, we know." Carlos stated, a little less than enthusiastic. "You've been counting down the day for…"

"What? Two months now, is it?" Kendall asked, interrupting him.

Carlos nodded. "Seems legit."

"Yes." Logan agreed. "She's been your best friend for as long as you can remember. She likes the Disney Channel… especially Ashley Tisdale. Reading. Chick flicks. Shopping. She hates math, oatmeal, and most bugs. Not the biggest fan of sports but she'll occasionally watch a football or basketball game. Just don't give her a trivia quiz. Am I right?"

"Wow. You're good, Logan. Really good." James said incredulously, obviously impressed.

"No, you've just talked about her non-stop." Kendall pointed out. Then he frowned. "I guess discussing hockey with her is out of the question?"

'Yeah…" James began slowly. "She doesn't know too much about hockey. Sorry, dude." he shrugged.

Kendall's frowned deepened.

"Hey, buddy." a familiar voice said as Kendall felt an arm circle around his shoulders and pat him on the back. "Don't be too bummed. You've still got me to discuss hockey with!"

Kendall smiled. "Hey, Sam. Yeah, I guess you're right. I always have you to fall back on. And who knows? Maybe Krystle can learn to love hockey."

"Maybe." Sam shrugged.

"She kind of likes figure skating!" James chimed in. "If that helps."

Sam scoffed. "You know what I always say, figure skating is boring. Unless there's a puck being chased."

"Yeah, and she hates math. How can anyone hate math?" Logan asked.

"Oh, don't worry." Sam said with a wink. She walked towards her boyfriend. "She may hate math, but she'll love you. Who wouldn't?"

Logan simply smiled and leaned in to give her a slow, soft kiss.

"Alright, while this display of affection is sweet and all, I'm going to the lobby." James declared, checking his watch. "Krys should be here any minute. If she's not here already. Who's coming with?" "I will." Carlos said. "Though I don't exactly see the point. I feel like I know her already."

'We'll all go." Sam said, taking Logan's hand.

They walked to the lobby, everyone looking around for a certain girl James had described many, many times.

"Is that her?" Carlos asked, pointing to a girl similar to the description.

James' eyes lit up. "Yes. HEY KRYSTLE!" he called out.

She turned at the voice. "JAMES!" she cried, running. Her arms were stretched out the whole time in anticipation of a hug.

"I've missed you!" he told her, hugging back.

"I've missed you, too." she agreed, pulling away gently. "How are you?"

"Great. Even better now that you're here. I want you to meet everyone."

She smiled and waved shyly.

'This is Carlos. Kendall. Logan, and the love of his life, Sam." he said, pointing to each individual.

"Nice to meet you all. I've heard lots about you." she responded, shaking their hands.

"Trust me, we've heard lots about you as well." Carlos said. "All good of course."

"Except for the fact that you don't like math." Logan interrupted.

Sam hit him playfully in the arm.

"Or hockey." Kendall finished. "No offense."

Krystle scrunched her nose. "Math? Ugh. It's just something I've never been able to grasp. Maybe you could teach me some things while I'm here, though. I need all the help I can get!"

Logan beamed.

"And, no, I'm not the biggest sports fan. But perhaps you could teach me some stuff about hockey." she continued.

"I like her already." Kendall stated, turning to James.

"So, what else do you like?" Sam asked her curiously.

"Um, well…. I not only like the Disney Channel, I like some stuff on Nickeloden. I guess I'd have to say that iCarly is my favorite."

"I love iCarly!"

"Team Creddie or Team Seddie?" she asked.

"Oh, definitely Seddie. Creddie doesn't even exist in my book."

Krystle reached out to slap her a high five. "Right on."

"So, anything else? What kind of music do you like?"

"Taylor Swift is amazing! Her lyrics…. I can't even describe it. I'm so jealous of her talent."

"Oh my gosh, I know! She's my idol! Forever and always. No pun intended."

Krystle laughed. "I write fan fiction as well."

"Me, too! We have lots in common. In fact, you kind of remind me of a great chat buddy of mine. Her name is…" she trailed off as her jaw dropped.

"Krystle." she finished slowly.

Krystle's eyes widened. "Believeinlove08?"

"PinkGarnet13?" Sam asked.

They squealed, joined hands, all the while jumping up and down like two little kids.

James scratched his head, obviously confused. "You two know each other?"

"Well, I guess not technically," Sam explained, still half laughing. "But I sure feel like it!"

"Oh, this is just great!" Kendall joked. "Now we have to listen to you gush about how wonderful she is, too."

"I feel so out of place." Carlos pouted.

"Join the club." Logan scoffed.

Krystle, however, did not even hear the last few comments. "You've told them I'm wonderful?" she asked James, biting her lip timidly.

"Of course I did! You're my buddy." he told her, putting his arm around her shoulder just as Sam had done with Kendall earlier.

_Right._ she thought. _Buddy. That's all I'll ever be._ She felt the desire to sigh, but prevented herself from doing so.

"Okay, okay. So we have a lot of catching up to do!" James cried. "What first?"

"Well, first I want to check out my suite and get unpacked." Krystle said firmly with wide eyes, holding up her heavy bag.

James nodded. "Let me get that for you."

"Thank you, kind sir!" she chirped in a high pitched, girly voice.

Once they arrived at the room, James set her bag down.

"I'll let you get unpacked. When you've finished, want to come back downstairs for a swim?"

"Sure." Krystle smiled.

"I'll stay and help you unpack if you'd like." Sam offered.

"Oh, you don't have to. I can manage." she assured her.

"I don't mind."

"Oh, alright. If you insist."

Sam gave Logan a (what she referred to as short, but seemed so much longer to everyone else) kiss good-bye and the boys departed.

"So…" Sam began, wondering how she should go about this particular scenario. She finally decided jumping right in was the way to go. "How long have you had a thing for James?"

Krystle gasped and put her head in her hands, groaning. "Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of, yeah. At least to me."

"A long time." she finally admitted.

"Oh, just wait till you meet the girlfriend." Sam warned.

Krys felt her heart breaking. "He… has a girlfriend?" she asked, tears pricking the back of her eyes.

"Yeah." she said. "I wouldn't worry too much. But I bet she'll be jealous of you."

Krystle creased her eyebrows together. "Really? Well, to be honest, as long as James is happy, I suppose I can live with him having someone else. All he considers me is his friend, anyway."

"If it's any consolation, I like you a lot better." Sam comforted her, giving her a hug.

"Thanks." she answered with a small smile.

"I think that's everything." Sam announced, double checking the huge black bag.

"Yeah, so do I." Krystle agreed. "Shall we go swimming now?"

"We shall!" Sam exclaimed excitedly.

After arriving downstairs, they both looked for the boys, finally spotting them in the lawn chairs outside. 'Hey, Krys. Ready for a swim?" James questioned.

"You know it!"

"Oh, I almost forgot. Before we do, there's someone I want you to meet. My girlfriend."

She gulped hard, suddenly anxious.

_Well, here goes. Be prepared for anything. She's probably beautiful, and funny, and smart… everything I'm not. Even worse, what if she's nice? What if she actually deserves someone as great as James?_

James took her hand and led her across the deck. "Krystle, this is Palmela. Palm, this is my friend Krystle I was telling you about."

Krystle blinked in confusion. _She's…. a… tree. A palm tree._

_**Well, there you have it. Part 1. Curious yet? Honestly, I hope anyone who happens to read this enjoys it as much as my best friends seemed to. If you did, please let me know. The review button is right down there. ;)**_


	2. Big Time Crush Crushed

_Okay, when I said prepare myself for anything , this isn't exactly what I meant._

"See, Krystle? Told you she'd be jealous. In fact, I'd say she's green with envy!" Sam said, sinking her face into Logan's shoulder to try and keep from busting into hysterical laughter.

"You guys, cut it out." James said, glaring.

"Dude, it's a palm tree!" Kendall said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah." Carlos agreed. "I was that desperate once. Never going back."

Krystle decided to play along because she could tell it meant a lot to James.

"Um… hi, Palmela. It's nice to meet you." she began slowly, unsure of what else to say.

"See? I told you you'd like her." James whispered to the tree, patting the top of the green branches.

"Well, I say we all go swimming!" Carlos interrupted. "Is Palmela joining us?"

"Carlos, she NEVER wants to swim. She wants to stay out and work on her tan, don't you understand? You know how important that is to us."

Carlos sighed. "Right."

"CANNONBALL!" Sam screamed, jumping into the water.

After several rounds of Marco Polo and chicken scratching, the group decided it was time to go in.

"So what do you think of Palmela?" James asked Krystle as they were sitting at one of the tables on the deck.

"Oh, she seems really nice." she informed him, drying her hair and trying to think of answers to any more questions he might ask. "She's kind of quiet, though."

"Yeah, I prefer mysterious. I like girls with a bit of mystery."

Krystle nodded. "So, do you want to go rollerblading in the park tomorrow or something?"

"Oh, I'd love to! But I can't. I promised Palm I'd take her shopping."

"Ah." she sighed sadly. "Alright, I understand. Maybe another time. It's getting late. I should be getting to bed, I guess."

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight." he said, flashing her his famous pearl white grin.

"Goodnight." she answered, hoping she didn't sound as breathless as she felt.

The next morning the gang joined each other for breakfast.

"So, what should we do today?" Kendall asked. "I was thinking I could teach you some stuff about hockey, Krys."

"Sure, sounds good. I wanted to go rollerblading with James today, but he has to take Palm shopping."

Sam practically spit out her orange juice.

"What's so funny, Sam?" James asked as he joined the table.

"Oh, nothing." she trailed off.

"Morning, James." Krystle greeted her friend.

"Morning." he said cheerfully.

"So, I know you're pretty booked today, but I was thinking tomorrow we could hang out here together. Really, really catch up. Watch some movies, make some popcorn."

"Em, sorry Krystle. I can't. Palmela and I decided to go rollerblading together tomorrow. You can join us, if you'd like."

_HEY! _Krystle thought, somewhat angrily. _I wanted to do that today!_

She tried to calm herself. _Let him have his fun. He can't spend all his time with "her."_

"Oh, thanks but no thanks." she finally replied. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of your time with your girlfriend."

'Suit yourself." he shrugged.

They finished breakfast and Kendall started to teach Krystle a bit about hockey.

"I'm sorry, Kendall." she laughed. "I totally respect your passion, and it's actually pretty fun to watch, but I'm not quite sure I'll ever be a hockey kind of girl."

'It's okay. It was really amusing watching you get confused!" Kendall laughed. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie."

The group heard a door slam and turned to see James enter with Palmela at his side. "Hey!" Krystle greeted them. "Did you guys have fun?"

"We did., as usual." James reported.

'Good." she smiled "Ugh, I'm exhausted. Who knew learning about hockey could take so much out of you? I think I'm going to call it an early night."

Everyone told her goodnight and she drifted of to sleep with sweet dreams of James in her mind.

The next morning at breakfast, it was decided that Logan would give Krystle a little tutoring in math since she didn't really have anything better to do.

James entered the kitchen, whistling an upbeat tune.

"Morning!" he greeted.

Krystle glared at him through slightly tired eyes. "I will never understand you. I went to bed way, way earlier than you did last night and I'm still exhausted. How are you even functioning, much less WHISTLING?"

He shrugged. "Morning person, I guess. Plus, I'm excited to be spending the day with Palm again."

Krystle closed her eyes and mentally shook her head. Then she re-opened them and took a sip of her milk. "I bet you are. So I know that you're busy today and all, but I was thinking tomorrow you could show me around? Maybe go out and grab a bite to eat?"

"Ooooh, tomorrow." James said skeptically. "Bad time. Palmela and I are going to stay in and watch movies."

Her jaw dropped. _There it is again! Palm is taking up all my time, and with my plan suggestions, no less. Well, that's it! I can't take it anymore, I have to talk to James about this._

After he finished his breakfast, she tried to get her courage up.

_Now is as good a time as any._ she decided.

"James," she whispered, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Absolutely, what is it?"

"Well, I'm only here for so long. And so far we haven't been able to spend any time together."

He frowned. "Yeah, I know. But you have to understand, Palm is my girlfriend. I can't just ignore her."

"Yes, but I'm your best friend you haven't seen in ages. It's okay to ignore me?"

"No, but…"

"But nothing, James! Either you want to spend time with me or you don't."

"Sorry." James stated softly to the palm beside him. "She's not normally like this."

Krystle scoffed. "You do realize "she's" a tree, right?"

The expression on his face turned sour.

"She's more than that to me!" he snapped.

"You're taking this way too seriously." Krystle warned him.

"No, I'm not. If you can't respect the relationship I'm in… well then maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore."

Krystle's eyes began to water. "Maybe we shouldn't." she whispered in agreement. "Because I cannot handle you and this relationship with this… this… inanimate object!"

He gasped. "Fine"!

"Fine!" she screamed back, running up the stairs to her hotel room.

After a good cry she decided she wasn't going to let this stupid fight between her and James get the best of her. It was ridiculous!

Putting in Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' album, she decided to blare one of the best songs and sing at the top of her lungs, making up her own version.

_Oh, she's not a saint and she's not what you think_

_She's a palm tree, woah-oh!_

_But I'd like to ship her somewhere far away_

_Maybe Hawaii, woah-oh!_

_Soon she's gonna find he'll ditch her_

_And that Diamond really is a girls best friend_

_She should keep in mind, she should keep in mind_

_There is nothing I do better than revenge_

Suddenly there was a knock. She walked towards the door to answer it.

"Venting through Taylor Swift lyrics again, Krys?" Sam asked, laughing.

"Is there a better way?" she retorted.

"No, not really." Sam admitted.

"Revenge, huh? On a plant? You know what? I don't blame you!" Carlos told her, appearing in the doorway. "In fact, I'd tear her limb from limb. Literally!"

"Ha, ha. You're so funny." Krystle countered, not even remotely amused.

Sam, on the other hand, apparently found the joke very comical considering the fact that she was still laughing. Noting the sad look on her friends face, she stopped abruptly, sending her an apologetic look.

"I want to laugh, I really do. I just can't find it in me to." Krystle went on softly. "I mean, I've lost my best friend. All over something so stupid!"

"Hey, don't forget. You have another best friend." Sam assured her with a smile.

Krystle grinned in return. "Thanks, Sam."

"There you are!" Logan interrupted, entering the doorway. "Krystle, are you ready to start your little math lesson?"

"Sure. Why not?" she answered, following everyone else out of the room.

Shaking her head, she muttered under her breath, "What has become of my life? I come here to spend a great time. To get away. What do I end up having instead? Problems. Of all kinds. Hockey problems. Best friend problems. Now math."

"Carlos, Sam, Krys… I have someone else I'd like you to meet." Logan stated brightly as they entered the lobby. "This is Mel. She's all the way from Australia and is also having a bit of trouble in math, so I figured I could help the both of you."

Carlos's eyes lit up at the sight of the tall, slender girl before him. Then he glanced at Logan.

"Exactly why have you not introduced us yet?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Logan shrugged. "It just never crossed my mind?"

"Riiiight. You're going to need a better excuse."

"Something suddenly came up?" he tried again.

"That'll work." Carlos nodded, obviously satisfied with the answer. Then he turned his attention back toward her.

"So, Mel, it's very nice to meet you." he rambled, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Carlos."

Mel smiled, holding out her hand as well. "Oh, believe me, the pleasure is all mine." she promised, raising one of her eyebrows flirtatiously.

Carlos beamed. "Do you like corn dogs?"

"I've never actually had one!" she admitted.

Carlos gasped. "You must try them! Do you want to go get one? I'd love to show you around."

"Absolutely."

The two walked away, all the while not taking their eyes off each other.

"Well…" Logan droned, blinking in confusion "I guess she won't be joining us today after all."

After setting the books on the table, Krystle tried to listen as he explained about the Order of Operations and integers, but she couldn't quite bring herself to focus.

"So, 2 plus 2 is definitely 4, right?" she asked jokingly, flashing Logan a big, fake grin.

He simply sighed.

"I'm sorry, Logan. I'm bad enough at this stuff as it is, and today is not my best day for concentration." she apologized.

"It's alright." he stated sympathetically.

"But if I ever need major help I know exactly who to call." she promised, giving him a nod.

"Oh, I have a tip!" Sam said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "Do what I do. For every question you get right, ask for a kiss. But not with Logan, obviously. Step off my man!"

Krystle laughed. "Good suggestion. No worries, as adorable as he is, it's obvious you two are meant for each other. Honestly, I hope I have what you guys have someday."

Everyone turned as they heard the lobby echo with laughter. Mel and Carlos had returned. The expression on Mel's face showed obvious guilt at having walked out right before the lesson.

"Hiiii, Logan." she tried, sucking up to him.

The brunette shook his head, knowing what she was thinking. "Don't worry about it. Krys decided she's not really in the learning mood herself. Actually, I'm surprised you guys are back this soon."

Mel sighed in relief. "Good. Oh my gosh, have you guys ever had a corn dog?" she questioned in astonishment. "They're amazing!"

Carlos winked. "That's my girl."

Sam giggled softly. "I'm pretty sure everyone in America has had a corn dog. But it's always interesting watching someone else try something new."

"Yeah, some things are completely different here, that's for sure." Mel noted.

Krystle pursed her lips in concentration. "Just a random question here… boys don't date palm trees in Australia, do they?" she asked Mel curiously.

Mel's eyes widened and she covered her stomach, falling over in a heap of laughter. That was answer enough for Krystle.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." she spat.

After she had regained composure, Mel asked, "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you by laughing if I did, but I couldn't help it! What kind of question is that?"

"It's kind of a long story, but the short edition is that the guy I'm crazy about think's he's in love with a palm tree. We got into a huge fight over it."

"Aw. I'm sorry to hear that." Mel said genuinely. "Strange dude, too."

"I know, right?" Krystle cried. "Even worse, he's my best friend."

"Bummer." Mel replied. "Well, we can always kidnap her if you like! Or, tree-nap, I suppose I should say."

Krystle creased her eyebrows. "How weird."

"No stranger than dating a palm tree." Mel countered.

"Touche. As much as I appreciate the offer, I'll pass on it. But thanks, anyway."

Mel shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Guys!" Kendall yelled excitedly, running down the stairs. "Guess what? We're having a pool party tonight!"

"Who says?" Carlos asked.

"I did." Kendall confirmed. "Just now. Did you not hear me? I'm thinking it'll start around seven. Who's in?"

"I'm in if everybody else is." Krystle announced. "I could use some fun after the day I've had."

"Sounds fun to me." Sam stated.

"Me, too." Mel agreed, turning to Carlos. "So you'll pick me up at seven, then?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Great. I'm going to set up and go to the store to buy some snacks and stuff. Anyone want to come with me?"

"I will!" Mel said brightly. "I've never been to an American grocery store before."

"Alright, then. I could use the help. Let's go." Kendall told her. "Bye, guys." he called to the others, waving as he and Mel rushed out the door.

About an hour later, Kendall and Mel entered the hotel lobby once again. This time they were carrying an armful of grocery bags filled with hot dogs, buns, chips, dip, candy, and all other types of junk food.

James was sitting on the couch with Palmela. He didn't take his eyes off the TV screen.

"Hey, James, I forgot to tell you…" Kendall began.

"Shhh! This is her favorite part!" James whispered, pointing to the tree and putting a finger over his lips.

Kendall blinked, and after a moment, James spoke again. "Sorry, man. You were saying?"

"Oh, I was just going to tell you we're having a pool party tonight. At seven."

"Sounds great, I'll be there." James vowed, still appearing somewhat distracted.

"What are you watching?" Kendall asked.

"High School Musical." James answered. "Palm loves Ashley Tisdale!"

"Uh-huh… good to know." Kendall replied skeptically. "Well, I've got to finish setting up. See you at the party!"

"See you!" James answered distantly.

"Is that the tree Krys was talking about?" Mel asked Kendall as they walked out on the pool deck.

"Yep." Kendall responded.

"Okaaaay... because dating a tree these days is totally normal. And, pffft, anyway, she's not even pretty."


	3. Pool Party, Not Palm Party

"I don't mean to brag but I think I at least deserve a pat on the back!" Kendall exclaimed later on that evening, admiring his decoration work.

The entire group glared at him.

"And…" he continued, "I most certainly could not have done it without all of you! Thanks for helping."

"Much better!" Logan smiled brightly, patting him on the back.

A loud bang was heard as James and Palmela came outside, the door closing behind them.

"Sorry we're late, guys. Palm was having trouble with her math homework. I tried to help but I don't think it was really sinking in. Logan, she might need you to tutor her."

"Um, okay. Sure." Logan replied, a slight bewildered expression on his face.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this party started!" Sam yelled.

"I second that!" Mel screeched. "In fact…" she continued mischievously, grabbing a can of Party String off the table, "Carlos, if I were you, I'd start running. I might not look like much of a runner, but trust me I'm faster than you think."

"Oh, no you don't." he cautioned, backing up. "I am not getting…" he stopped abruptly, looking down. "Well, I'm definitely paying attention to your legs, that's for sure." he noted, admiring Mel's long, slender legs.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize he was still backing up until it was too late.

_SPLASH._

He landed in the pool without warning. Rising to the top of the water, he gave Mel a stern look. "You're lucky I already had my swimming shorts on!"

Mel laughed. "Well, you know what they say… if you can't beat 'em, join em!" she quoted, jumping into the pool with another loud splash.

Everyone else jumped in as well. Kendall placed an air mattress into the pool.

"Alright guys, first game!" he proclaimed. "It's called Air Mattress pile up! Two of us stand on top of the mattress to see who can stay on the longest. Who's up first?"

"Me!" Sam answered excitedly.

"Me, too." Logan said next. "You're going down, babe."

"We'll see about that." she threatened jokingly, starting to climb on top of the mattress. Logan stepped up right behind her.

The water in the pool started to ripple slightly and the mattress became less balanced. Sam put her foot down on the mattress just gently enough to get it shaking more, trying to get her boyfriend to fall.

Logan held out his arms in a surfer motion, still staying steady.

"Try again." he beamed. Suddenly, he jumped, causing mini-waves in the pool.

This didn't phase Sam. She did just as he had and held out her arms, maintaining her stability.

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that!" she told him.

Logan pouted.

"Aw, come here. Give me a hug." she said, reaching her arms out and walking to him.

Logan's arms flailed wildly as he fell back into the water, clinging to the side of the mattress after he came back up.

"I WIN!" Sam cheered, throwing her arms up in victory. Then she leaned down, looking her boyfriend in the eyes.

"Don't worry, Jack." she declared dramatically, taking him by the hand. "I'll never let go."

Logan grinned.

Her expression turned serious. "Just kidding, have you not seen the movie?" she asked, letting go of his hands and pushing him back into the water.

After a few more rounds of that, Kendall decided it was time to play another game.

"Okay, this one is called "Duck Thrust." The player will get a rubber duck and the object of the game is that when I say go, you are to use your nose to get the duck to the other side of the pool. You may also blow the duck… Mel, get your mind out of the gutter…"

She burst into a fit of laughter. "You know me so well. Besides, I'm sure everyone else here was thinking the same thing."

He smiled, then continued. "The only thing is that you can't bite the duck and swim to the other end with it. Oh, also, as a distraction, you may splash water in your opponents face OR splash water toward the duck to get it to go backwards. Understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"Who's up first?" he inquired.

"I'll play." Krystle chimed in.

"I'm up against you!" James decided.

Kendall placed the rubber ducks in front of the two of them.

"On your mark… get set… GO!" he chanted.

Krystle put her nose to the duck, pushing in short strokes.

James splashed a handful of water in her face.

She grumbled, spit out the water that had gotten into her mouth, and wiped her eyes.

James was already a good few paces ahead of her and halfway across the pool.

She started pushing the duck again, catching up in no time. _Now's the time._ she thought.

She splashed water in front of James's duck, sending it back a few feet.

He sighed in frustration as she started pushing her duck again.

"Quack." she waddled with arms at her sides, pushing the duck forward. "Quack." Push. "Quack." Push.

Sam laughed at the combination of her imitation and the animal sound. "Krys, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I think I've become one with the duck!" Krystle admitted. "I kind of like him. Maybe I'm a duck. I think he could be my soul mate."

"That's ridiculous." James scoffed, wading up beside her.

She glared. "This coming from the guy dating a palm tree!"

"How many times do I have to tell you! She's more than a palm tree to me!" James shouted.

Everyone bit their lips in apprehension, hoping the argument wouldn't increase further.

Krystle simply shook her head. "Whatever, James. I don't feel like fighting."

Silence.

Everyone sighed in relief as the tension seemed to have died down after a while.

"I win!" James declared as he reached the end of the pool.

"Guys, I'm tired of swimming." Mel confessed.

Krystle climbed out of the pool. "So am I."

"Alright, how about some tunes?" Kendall suggested, walking over to the boom box and turning up the volume.

Lil Freak by Usher featuring Nicki Minaj was playing.

"Awww, yeah!" Logan cried eagerly, starting to dance.

Everyone else starting moving to the beat as well.

"I love Usher!" Mel yelled, throwing her hands up in the air and waving them back and forth.

Once the song ended, the first streams of Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson blared through the speakers.

"Can't you see that it's just raining… ain't no need to go outside." Krystle hummed, trying to fight back tears. She couldn't help but be aware that James was humming, too.

_We used to sing this all the time. I considered it our song. _she thought to herself sadly.

The last few notes played, and the beginning chords of another began.

"I love this song!" Mel squealed as "Never Gonna Be Alone" by Nickelback played. "C'mon!" she jumped up, grabbing Carlos by the hand. "Dance with me."

Logan held out his hand for Sam. "Care to dance?"

"Love to." she replied with with a huge smile.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck, gazing into each others eyes.

Mel sighed happily and placed her head into the crook of Carlos's neck as his arms encircled her middle, pulling her close. They swayed to the music.

Krystle's eyes sparkled, an idea unexpectedly occurring to her.

"Want to dance?" she asked Kendall hopefully.

He seemed to mull it over for a moment. "Sure. Why not?" he finally answered.

They stood a good distance apart at first, merely swaying to the music, but as the song went on, they got closer.

Krystle laughed loudly. "Oh, Kendall, you're so funny!"

He gave her a puzzled look. "What?"

"Just play along." she told him through gritted teeth.

He gave her an understanding nod.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the most amazing eyes?" she cooed, running her fingers through his blonde hair.

"Not today." he teased flirtatiously.

Krystle noticed that James's dancing with Palm slowed and he appeared to be watching the two of them out of the corner of his eye, listening.

_It's working…_ she thought.

"Well, they are." she went on. "And your hair. It's so soft."

"You… have a really nice smile." Kendall paused, trying to think of something.

"You're so sweet. Thanks." she told him.

James still seemed to be paying attention.

"Kiss me on the cheek." she ordered Kendall in a whisper.

Kendall did as instructed, and the song ended. All the couples broke apart.

Logan checked his watch. "Oh my gosh, you guys! It's midnight."

"Is it?" Mel asked. "It doesn't seem like it." Then she yawned. "But I also knew I was getting kind of tired."

"I'm sleepy, too." Sam acknowledged. "This party was really fun, though. We have to do this again. It was a great idea, Kendall."

"Oh, Kendall's always full of great ideas." Krystle declared, winking at him.

He winked back. "Well, you guys can go ahead and get to bed. I don't mind cleaning this up by myself."

"No way! I'll help. Not taking no for an answer." Krystle warned.

"Alright, then."

Everyone else went inside as the two of them stayed behind to clean up, but Krystle couldn't help but notice that James kept watching the both of them through the glass door the entire time with Palm at his side.

_I guess he thinks I can't see him. _she thought. _Well, newsflash! I can! What does he care if I'm helping Kendall clean up? He's so confusing. I'm not even going to try and _

_understand…_


	4. Going on A Mission, Going On Tour

The next morning Sam was at the stove fixing the ultimate breakfast as the rest of the group sat patiently at the table.

Kendall had a newspaper in hand, his nose buried into the sports section.

Carlos and Mel were whispering excitedly, playing footsie under the table, and laughing.

Krystle was busy concentrating on intertwining tiny pieces of string together, hard at work making colorful friendship bracelets for Sam and Mel.

Logan was in deep focus himself over a particular history question when he realized exactly how much food Sam was making. Taking his glasses off and putting his pencil down, he walked over to her.

"Need some help with that, babe?"

'Yes, please." she asked politely. "Can you make the oatmeal? I hate it and I'm worried that the sight alone might make me gag."

"Will do." he chirped, giving her a salute.

Once Logan had done that, breakfast was ready.

'Here you go, Palm." Sam said, placing a bowl of oatmeal in front of the tree.

"Oh, no, no, no!" James said, pushing the bowl away. "Palmela doesn't like oatmeal. In fact, she hates it. She will, however, take anything else you have. She's really not picky. In fact, I think she has requested banana pancakes."

Sam's eyes widened, then she shrugged. "Can't say I blame her. Maybe you and I can be friends after all, Palm."

"I know you can." James smiled. "Palm really likes you. Mel, too."

"My day has been made!" Sam cheered dramatically, throwing her arms into the air.

Once breakfast was done, Mel rubbed her stomach contentedly. "Wow. That was really good, Sam! So good that I'm going to offer to do the dishes."

"I'll help." Carlos decided.

Sam and Logan walked to the lobby to watch some TV while everyone else went their separate ways as well.

Carlos added the soap to the water and Mel put in the dishes.

"I feel really bad for Krystle." Mel informed him, scrubbing a large skillet. "She's head over heels for James, but that stupid palm tree is in the way."

"I don't know." Carlos stated suspiciously. "She seemed to be pretty into Kendall last night."

Mel sighed and shook her head. "Boys. You're all so dense. She was trying to make James jealous!"

"Oh!" Carlos nodded understandingly. Then it sank in. "Hey! I'm not dense!" he defended, throwing a handful of bubbles at her.

Mel laughed and splashed him with a handful of water from the sink.

"It's so on!" he exclaimed, grabbing the sprayer and drenching her from head to toe.

The kitchen rang with a squeal as Mel tried to push him away, slipping on the wet floor and falling over with laughter. She grabbed him by his ankles and pulled him down with her. Grabbing the hose from him, she pulled the trigger, saturating his hair.

Now both were laughing.

"You should see yourself." she told him.

"Me?" he questioned, astounded. "What about you? You look like a drowned rat!" he chuckled.

She frowned.

"But a beautiful drowned rat." he continued softly, pushing a strand of her bangs back behind her ear.

Before Mel could even say anything, she saw that their lips were only inches apart, and the next second she felt his lightly brushing hers.

Her heart was pounding and her face felt warm. Once they finally pulled apart, she looked him in the eyes, biting her bottom lip bashfully.

Total silence.

"Say something!" Carlos begged after a moment.

"I like you. A lot." she confessed.

He smiled. "I like you, too. I know it's crazy. We just met yesterday. But I can't help it, you know?"

"I understand completely." she nodded. "You make me happy."

Her thoughts wandered to her friend and she sighed in frustration. "See what I mean now? Krystle deserves to be happy, too! It's all that stupid palm tree's fault."

"We could still kidnap her." Carlos stated brightly.

"I for one would love to. But she specifically told us not to." Mel objected.

"So? We do it anyway! What's she going to do? Call the police?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of putting it on a milk carton, but if you want to be that drastic…" she laughed.

Sam walked into the kitchen, her jaw dropping at the huge mess on the floor. "I am NOT cleaning this up."

They both gave her a sheepish smile.

"We will pay the consequences for our childish behavior." Mel promised. "But if I said I didn't enjoy every second of it, I'd be lying."

Sam simply shook her head and walked back toward the lobby, smiling as she left.

"So what do you say? We'll clean up this mess and then it's Operation Kidnap Palm Tree, right?"

"We have to be sneaky."

Carlos nodded.

"No one can know."

Another nod.

"This is a serious mission."

Triple nod.

"Let's do it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Meanwhile, in the lobby, Sam and Logan were snuggled up onto the couch, lost in a very suspenseful movie.

The ringtone on Logan's phone went off, causing him to jump.

After calming down, he walked over to the other side of the room and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

Sam listened as he occasionally interjected with "Yeah… uh-huh… wow! Of course. I'll be sure to let them all know. Yes, this is very exciting. Can't wait. Talk to you again soon. Goodbye."

He hung up.

"What was that all about?" Sam inquired.

"Um… that was our agent. We have to go on tour."

Her heart sank. "Again? When? For how long this time?"

"We leave in three weeks. For four months."

She tried to stop the tears that threatened to spill over, but to no avail.

"Hey, hey, hey…" he whispered, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Look on the bright side. It's not as long this time."

"I know, but still… I hate being away from you." she sniffed.

"Do you remember what we promised?" he asked, wiping a single tear from her cheek with his thumb. "We write once a week…"

"Call every day…" she continued.

"Text every minute…" he went on.

"And think about each other every second." she finished with a small smile.

"That's right. I'll be thinking about you worldwide. No one is ever going to take your place, baby girl. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. And no one will ever take yours either." she vowed, wrapping her arms even tighter around him, dabbing one last tear away. "I love you, Logan."

"I love you, too." he whispered in her ear, gently stroking her back and kissing her softly on her forehead. "So much."

They pulled apart and Logan realized she had stopped crying, but her face was still red and her eyes slightly puffy.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah." she assured him, taking his hand in hers. "I'm okay."

"Good." he smiled. "Let's finish the movie."

They walked over to the couch, Sam burying her head onto his chest as they sat down, picking up right where they'd left off.


	5. Missing?

**Okay, guys, I know I haven't updated in a while and I'm truly sorry. This chapter is also short, but I promise you won't have to wait as long for the next update. Enjoy! ****J**

"Alright. Operation OKPT is a-go." Carlos told Mel as they stood in front of the door that led to the pool deck. "Remember, Secret Agent Kanga… if you see any sign of James, the code phrase to get out is "run, joey, run!".

"Got it, Secret Agent Roo." she told him, adjusting her black sunglasses and pulling up her black pants._ Man, I look good in black. Hot, even. _she thought, checking her reflection in the glass.

Carlos had his own pair of sunglasses and was dressed in all black as well. Sneaking very quietly out to the pool deck, he noticed that James was sitting in one of the chairs. He seemed to be absorbed in some kind of fashion magazine.

He placed the magazine down and started walking inside the hotel.

"Run joey run!" Carlos hissed through the walkie-talkie he was holding. "The eagle is flying to the inside of the building. Hide yourself, secret agent Kanga. Then sneak out here as quickly as you can and help me capture our enemy!"

'Roger that." Mel answered back. She hid behind the couch in the corner, waiting for James to pass by.

Once he had gone, Mel rushed outside and both her and Carlos grabbed the plant, hauling it inside quickly.

"It's a good thing she not all that heavy." Carlos sighed in relief.

"Very." Mel agreed. "Where should we put her?"

"I was thinking the janitors closet. It's dark in there and he won't think anything of it." Carlos pondered.

"Good idea!"

They rushed over to the janitors closet and gently placed Palm inside.

"Mission accomplished." Carlos stated proudly.

Mel rubbed her hands together in satisfaction. "Just in time, too." she pointed out quietly. "There's James."

A glass of sweet iced tea in hand, he walked toward the pool deck once again.

He came to a complete halt when he noticed his "girlfriend" was missing. _What the…._

He walked calmly back inside. Upon seeing Carlos and Mel, he quickened his place.

"Hey, guys. Have you seen Palm? She was out there just a minute ago."

"Can't say I have." they answered in unison.

James shrugged.

"Maybe she's in the pool." Mel suggested.

"Doubt it." James responded skeptically.

"Yeah, she likes to work on her tan, Mel. Don't you know anything?" Carlos joked. Then he turned back to James. "Well, if we see her, we'll be sure and let you know." Carlos guaranteed him.

"Thanks." he responded gratefully, walking off.

"Oh, she's getting a tan alright." Mel snickered as soon as he was out of earshot.

James was almost all the way upstairs when he saw that Logan was headed downstairs, stopping him.

"Hey, man. Have you seen Palm anywhere?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry." he shrugged.

"It's all good, I guess. If you find her let me know."

"Will do." Logan assured him.

Next, James ran into Kendall in the hallway.

Kendall informed him that he didn't know where Palm was either.

"Maybe she went for a walk." he indicated.

"She's a tree!" James shouted. "Where's she going to go?"

Kendall shrugged.

"Well, thanks for nothing." James said, giving him a wave and marching forward.

Arriving at Krystle's hotel room, he pounded on the door with agitation and waited for her to answer.

"Alright, what did you do with her!" he accused loudly as the door swung open.

"What are you talking about?" she asked in confusion.

"Like you don't know. Palm's missing. What have you done with her?" he asked again.

"I haven't seen your precious 'girlfriend,'" she declared icily, placing air quotes around the word "girlfriend." "I'd tell you to yell for her, but I don't think she'd answer. She's not exactly a talker. Nor do I have anything to do with her disappearance.

"I don't believe you!" James yelled.

"Oh, so now you're calling me a liar?" she questioned in disbelief, clearly hurt. "You know what, James? That's it. I'm done. You've lost it. I can deal with you and your twisted relationship, but if you don't trust me and really feel that I would lie to you… I can't handle that. Ever since I got here you've been a completely different person. You're not my best friend anymore, and to be quite honest, I don't ever want to talk to you again!" she screeched, slamming the door in his face.

Grabbing her duffel bag out from underneath her bed, she began to pack.

**Uh-Oh. Looks like Krystle's leaving! Hope you guys liked. Thanks so much for reading.**


	6. Guess I Have To Leaf You Alone End

**I know, I know! I haven't updated in forever and I'm really sorry. But this is it. The last chapter! I hope you guys enjoy, and truly am greatful to everyone who read, reviewed and everything else. Thanks so much!**

Her eyes blurred with tears, she shoved everything carefully into the bag. She stopped after she heard a knock.

"I said I don't want to talk to you!" she yelled back. "Go away!"

"What did I do?" a voice asked on the other side. Sam's voice.

She rushed to the door and opened it.

"Woah!" Sam said, looking around at the slight mess. "When was there a tornado?"

"There wasn't." Krystle clarified, marching angrily back to her bag. "I'm leaving."

"What?" Sam questioned in shock.

"I'm leaving." she repeated.

"No, you're not." Sam stated firmly. "I won't let you!"

Krystle shook her head. "I'm done. I came here to visit with James and now he won't have anything to do with me. On top of that he's calling me a liar because the palm tree is missing, and I'm going home!" she rambled.

"I'm so out of the loop." Sam sighed, rubbing her temples. "Palm's missing?"

"Yeah. Apparently just a little while ago, and James assumes that I had something to do wi…" she stopped, pondering something. "Wait a minute!" she cried, snapping her fingers as her eyes turned into tiny slits. "I think I know exactly what happened and you better believe I'm going to get to the bottom of it!" she fumed, throwing her bag onto the floor and storming out of the room with Sam on her heels.

"YOU!" she pointed to Mel and Carlos. "What the frack did you do with that damn palm tree?"

Sam's eyes widened in shock at the language, considering Krystle hardly ever swore. "Dirty mouth?" she joked. "Clean it up with Orbit!"

"I know it was you!" she continued. "I told you not to and now James is pissed at me!"

"Woah, calm down Krys. We might've gotten rid of her… maybe…" Mel said.

"But it was for you!" Carlos tried with a smile.

"You guys…" Sam began, smacking her head. "James is really mad at Krystle now and it got her all upset! She was packing her bags, do you know that?"

Mel felt tears hit the brim if her eyes. "Oh, man! I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would turn out this way. We were only messing around."

"Yeah!" Carlos defended. "We're really sorry, Krys. You have to stay. Please?"

"What's this about leaving?" Logan questioned as he and Kendall joined the conversation.

"Krystle is going home because Carlos and Mel kidnapped Palm and James thinks she had something to do with it." Sam explained.

"We'll put her back!" Carlos vowed.

"We will." Mel concurred with a nod. "Please don't go!"

"I don't know you guys…" Krystle said skeptically.

"I for one would be sad if you left." Kendall told her with a pout. "You've become a really great friend."

"Yeah, I'd really miss you." Logan chimed in.

Looking at all the sad faces surrounding her, she surrendered with a sigh. "Alright. I'll stay."

Everyone cheered.

"I'm so sorry!" Mel apologized again as she reached out for a hug. "You've become one of my best friends. I never meant to hurt you. Neither did Carlos."

Krystle hugged her back. " I know. It's okay. It's not entirely your fault. James is completely over-reacting. But you guys still need to put her back!" she warned.

"I can be stealth." Logan said smoothly, putting on a pair of sunglasses. "Good thing I'm already wearing black."

Sam looked down, then back up with a mischievous grin on her face. "What do you know?" she asked. "So am I."

Carlos raised his eyebrows knowingly. "Looks like it's four of us on this mission now."

"Secret agent Island at your service." Logan proclaimed.

"As is secret agent Gullah Gullah." Sam said with a giggle.

"Nice to meet you." Mel said mysteriously, holding out her hand. "I'm secret agent Kanga, and this is my partner in crime, secret agent Roo."

Krystle rolled her eyes, sighed, and shook her head. "I'm going back to my room."

"Alright, so you two go downstairs and locate the Diamond in the rough." Carlos instructed, handing Logan a walkie-talkie. " Once you have, let us know his whereabouts and we will move our enemy to another location where she can be easily found."

Logan nodded in understanding. "Don't forget. The number one rule is don't get caught."

Sam and Logan went downstairs, going more slowly as they reached the glass door to look out onto the pool deck.

Hitting the side button, Sam began to speak. 'Secret agent Kanga? This is secret agent Gullah Gullah. I have found the Diamond in the rough. He is still sitting on the pool deck. However, he appears to be in some kind of distress. This could be a good distraction. I think if we work quickly, we will have just enough time."

"Secret agent Gullah Gullah? This is secret agent Kanga." Mel came in. "Roger that and 10-4."

Mel and Carlos rushed down stairs, looking around to make sure no one was watching as they stood in front of the janitors closet.

"Let's put her in the window sill in the kitchen." Carlos whispered. "That way it will look like a complete accident."

Mel beamed. "You're brilliant!" she cried, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

Pulling the tree out of the closet, they hurried to the kitchen and carefully placed the plant into the window.

"Secret agent Island?" Carlos called into the walkie-talkie. "Mission accomplished. We are currently in the kitchen."

"Roger that, secret agent Roo. We will be with you in just a moment." Logan stated, static coming over the line.

The group high-fived each other as everybody met in the dining area.

"We make an awesome team." Sam stated with an air of excitement, giving Mel a hug.

"We really do." Mel decided

Meanwhile, Kendall opened the door leading out to the pool deck, and the very first thing he saw was an extremely sad James.

"I heard about Palm." he pointed out. "You okay, dude?"

James sniffed. "You see this?" he asked, holding out Taylor Swift's latest album. "This… this is what she bought at the store the other day when we went shopping. Now she'll probably never be around to listen to it again!"

"Maybe you can give it to Krystle." Kendall joked. "Although she probably already has it if she's such a big fan."

"Yeah, we're not exactly on speaking terms right now…" James blathered.

Kendall wasn't listening to a word he was saying, though. He was in very deep thought.

_High School Musical, Ashley Tisdale._

_Hates math, Logan tutoring._

_Hates oatmeal, banana pancakes._

_Shopping, Taylor Swift CD._

It hit him like a ton of bricks. "OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE CRAZY FOR KRYSTLE!" Kendall shouted, causing James to stop his speech.

He scoffed. "I am not."

"Yes, you are." Kendall said with determination.

"No… I'm really not." James assured him yet again.

"Look at the facts. She loves Ashley Tisdale, she hates math, loves banana pancakes… which is your favorite song, by the way. Lastly, she bought a Taylor Swift CD. Which involves shopping… oh, almost forgot! She loves that, too!" Kendall ranted sarcastically, counting each thing off on his fingers. "All of which she has in common with Krystle. You're comparing them! And you called Palm a tree earlier. You've NEVER done that." he prompted.

James simply shook his head. "If you say so, but I rea-…"

"JAMES! I found Palm!" Sam shouted breathlessly as she ran outside. "She's in the kitchen. Someone must've put her there by mistake."

"MY BABY!" James cried, running inside. "Thank you for finding her." he told Sam in relief as he entered the kitchen.

"No problem. I mean, I just walked right in here, and what do you know? There she was!" Sam said casually, throwing her arms into the air.

"We've got a lot to talk about." James informed Palm as they headed back outside. "Krystle and I got into this huge fight. She said she doesn't want to be friends anymore and to be honest, I'm pretty upset about it. I mean, I really like her…"

He paused, focusing on the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"I really like her…." he thought, swallowing hard as he gave the plant a long, hard look.

"You don't have anything to say, Palm?" he asked.

Complete silence.

"Palm… I'm telling you there's another girl I really like. Another girl who has the potential to be in my life, and I get nothing?"

Still silence.

"You know what! Krystle is right!" he accused with a point of his finger. "You are not a very good conversationalist! We are SO OVER!" he shouted furiously.

He rushed around the entire hotel, searching for Krystle to apologize. Finally, he spotted her sitting on the side of the tiny fountain that was located outside of the hotel.

"There you are!"

Krystle jumped at the sound of his voice, then glared. "What did I do now?"

"Nothing." James admitted, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "In fact, I uh… came here to apologize." he confessed, taking a seat beside her.

She didn't say anything.

"I mean it." he went on. "I'm so sorry. I've been a complete jerk. I never should've accused you of taking Palm and calling you a liar. I'm also sorry for taking up all your time with her when you came here to see me. Gah! I'm such an idiot."

"Yeah, you are." Krystle agreed.

He frowned. "I really am sorry. You're my best friend, you know. I can't believe I almost lost our friendship over something so ridiculous. That is… if you forgive me." he said sadly, hanging his head.

She slapped him on the arm lightly. "Yes, I forgive you, you dork! I just wanted you to see how much of a jerk you were acting. I'll always be your best friend." she smiled.

He smiled back.

"Here." she said quietly, taking a blue and black friendship bracelet out of her pocket. "I made this for you."

"Sweet!" he cried excitedly, putting it on his wrist. "I saw you making one for Sam and Mel… I was hoping I'd get one, too, but I figured since you were so angry with me, I'd better not hold my breath."

"Really?" Krystle questioned, astounded. "Of course I was going to make one for you! I may get angry… we may fight… heck, we may even go weeks without talking. But one thing I can promise is that no matter what, I'm always going to be there for you. Just like I'm always going to be there for the rest of the gang."

"That means a lot." James said sincerely, looking into the distance. "Hey, do you remember the very first day we met?"

Krystle laughed at the memory. "Yeah." she sighed wistfully. "Like it was yesterday. We were in kindergarten. You were wearing quite possibly the biggest pair of sunglasses I've ever seen. Lucky comb in hand, you charmingly informed me that you were going to be a famous actor someday, and that you needed a co-star. From that moment on we were best friends. We made up a different movie every day, I think. Wow, we sure had a crazy imagination, didn't we?"

"Oh, yeah." he said, his smiling spreading at the memory.

"I also remember after every "movie", you'd give me a kiss on the cheek. You said that at the end of every great film, the guy always gets the girl. I, uh… always looked forward to that part." she confessed timidly, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked down at the ground.

Turning back toward her, he took her hand. "Who says that only has to happen in the movies?" he whispered.

She looked back up, her hazel eyes locking with his deep brown ones.

He leaned in as his arm gently pulled her face toward his, their lips connecting in a slow, tender kiss.

"Will you move?" Mel asked from the window, bumping Sam somewhat gently. "I can't see!"

"Oh my gosh, they're kissing!" Sam squealed, clapping her hands in delight.

Once they pulled apart, he placed his forehead against hers, their fingers still intertwined. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Blinking in shock from both the question and the amazement of the kiss, Krystle finally managed to speak. "I don't know…" she said, unsure. "I still think I've got a thing for the duck if I'm being honest."

"You've GOT to be kidding me." he stated in disbelief, eyes widened.

She laughed at his expression. "You know I am!" she said, giving him another peck on the lips. "Of course I will." she told him sincerely.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked. Let's go tell everyone the good news!" James said brightly, taking her by the hand and walking back inside.

"Assume the position!" Mel warned, jumping on the couch as everyone else raced away from the window, too.

"You guys… Palm and I broke up." James announced, entering the door.

"Oh, that's too bad." Carlos said with just an air of sarcasm, pretending to flip through a magazine. "How shall we go on?"

'No, no. It's okay. Because I have Krystle now." James assured him.

Mel gave Krystle a wink.

"Well… I personally think you can do better." Sam teased, "but I guess we'll keep her around."

"I do feel bad, though." James admitted. "Palm's all alone now."

"Yeah, I kind of do, too…" Krystle trailed off. "In a strange way, I was starting to like her. Wait a second… you know what? I know someone who's perfect for her!"

She grabbed the rubber duck from the pile of pool toys in the corner and placed it inside the pot of the palm tree.

"What a beautiful couple." Kendall cried dramatically.

"I have an idea, too." James beamed, pulling out a small pocket knife.

He walked over to the tree and placed the blade against the bark.

"What are you doing?" Carlos yelled in alarm. "Don't hurt her!'

"I'm not." he promised. "You'll see."

"Ta-da!" James said in sing-song, standing back so everyone could admire what he'd done.

_KC+JD_

_MA+CG_

_SB+LM_

_4-EVER_

**_The End_**


End file.
